Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters: "Let us await the result of consultations with the football clubs”

The Christian democrat Deputy Prime Minister in Belgium’s Federal Government Kris Peeters says that professional sport clubs have given enough assures that they are making efforts to address the issues that arise from them being given special treatment regarding the level of social security contribution paid on professional sportspeople’s earnings.

Sat 24 Nov 16:13

Mr Peeters says that talks are already under way between the social partners on this very issue. Mr Peeters was reacting to an interview given by his federal cabinet colleague, the Health Minister Maggie De Block (Flemish liberal) in which she said that she felt that the Professional Football League was not taking enough internal measures to address the issues that have come to light as a result of the scandal that has best Belgian football in recent weeks.

Consequently Ms De Block suggests that it is time to look at the advantageous regime that sport clubs enjoy when it comes to social security contributions.

However, according to Mr Peeters, the football clubs are prepared to “make great steps forward”. He adds that they themselves see that the current advantageous regime they enjoy when it comes to social security payments and tax is no longer tenable. Furthermore, Mr Peeters also believes that the clubs also so that it has missed its original aim that was to help stimulate the development of young talent.

In contrast to Ms De Block, Mr Peeters believs that “the social partners are very well-place to make proposals on how the advantageous regimes (for social security and tax) can modified”.